He Who Needs No Linkage had two stories posted the other day, back to back, that caught my eye. In the first, a (now former) TSA agent was convicted of stealing five laptop computers and a Sony PlayStation from travelers' bags. He was given three years probation.

In both these cases, the accused was not only a government employee, not only exploiting their power as a government employee, but using their authority to enforce the law to steal from citizens and enrich themselves.

There's a legal term for this kind of crime -- "under color of law" -- and is's woefully underused. There ought to be enhanced penalties for government agents who break the laws they are supposed to be enforcing. Mandatory jail sentences. Restitution plus. Forfeiture of not only all benefits accrued, but of future government benefits.

Our government needs the citizens' trust in order to function. Acts like these two above erode that faith. For that kind of damage, for violation of that level of trust, the penalties must be commensurate.

Just enforce the existing LAWS. Lex Rex. It works "throw the book" at them. We got hundred of thousands of laws charge these guys for ever count and each rule they violated.
If there needs to be one more law borrow it from the UCMJ and change conduct unbecoming to apply to any public servant. In fact let change some things around and just be every public official subject to new version of UCMJ and start to reduce all the other laws. If it good enough for men and women who bleed for this country it should be good enough for the people they serve to protect.